Architectural firm Lionakis has made sustainability a priority for its projects, such as… more

Dennis McCoy | Sacramento Business Journal

The 104-year-old company has supplied its green expertise to two recent major retrofits in the Sacramento area: the 52-year-old headquarters of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and Terminal B at Sacramento International Airport. Both have been transformed into modern, energy-efficient and nationally recognized projects.

Green features added at DMV include rooftop solar panels producing 495 kilowatts, LED lighting, larger windows and hallways for more natural light, better insulation and updated heating and cooling equipment. The renovation has been referred to as the “ultimate recycling project” by DMV employees.

“If you think about all the resources that were saved because that building wasn’t demolished, it’s a project to be very proud of,” Wehling said. In addition to spearheading the architectural effort on the project, Lionakis worked on interior design, structural engineering and sustainability design.

The project, which will wrap up this year, will boost the building’s energy efficiency by about 35 percent, said Michael Haviland, construction and maintenance superintendent for the DMV.

Adding smart technologies to older buildings can be challenging, especially for the 500,000-square-foot DMV, which needed to remain open during the 15-year project.

“Everybody knows what the green elements are,” Haviland said. “What I liked about Lionakis was they included those elements but also included our business functions.”

Working with clients’ business models is one of three main factors that Lionakis incorporates into its designs.

“A lot of people don’t look at it from a holistic picture — what are the economic and environmental pieces of it, but also the social aspect of it,” Wehling said. If companies create an environment where employees are comfortable, with access to lots of natural light for example, it will significantly affect their well-being — and therefore the company’s bottom line, she said.

Lionakis, with 2012 revenue of $29.3 million, started putting “green” into practice long before it became a buzz word.

The company, which employs 145 locally and 180 statewide, made sustainable design a priority in the mid 1990s when it moved its headquarters into an old midtown glass warehouse that, after revamping, became the company’s personal model of sustainability.

Since then, the green market has taken huge steps forward. Many sustainable products don’t cost more than traditional ones, Wehling said. But with so many products on the market, it’s important to figure out what’s a solid investment. Toward that end, Lionakis tests products in one of its three California offices before making recommendations to clients.

One of Lionakis’ most recent undertakings was designing the new Winn Center for Construction and Architecture Technology at Cosumnes River College. The project broke ground in late 2011 and is expected to be completed late this year.

The building will serve as a teaching tool for future designers and contractors to understand what really makes a product sustainable. While turning lights on and off or flushing toilets, students will be able to see in real time on a dashboard in the lobby how much energy is being used.

The project is on track to get LEED Platinum certification, the highest standard, Wehling said.

Terminal B, meanwhile, has obtained LEED Silver certification for its sustainable features. Lionakis worked with the national architect on the project to design these features, which included extensive use of day lighting, a heat-reflecting cool roof, extensive recycling of construction wastes, drought-tolerant landscaping, water-saving fixtures and use of recycled materials. It was a significant accomplishment, particularly because airports typically aren’t thought of as green.

“It goes to show that any project can be more sustainable,” Wehling said.